Does running destroy your knees?

Being overweight is hard on your knees 24/7. Running is very hard on your knees while you're running. Running while overweight is exponentially more wear and tear on the joints. Maybe you could find a lower impact activity? Bicycling, swimming, hiking, etc are all much easier on your knees.

I just limped home from the gym, and have my knee up with ice. this is the result of old injuries, coupled with my 50 extra lbs and the humidity right now. My knee is on fire. I want to die.

If I can't work out I'm going to be really unhappy. the weight has to go, go,, go if I want to preserve what I have left of my knee.

that said, be careful. listen to Contingency Plan and get the right shoes and watch how you step. It's all important. Start slow. I like the idea of running/jogging but it's out of the question for me right now.

Good luck. Remember, get good trainers designed for running.

No - we were Born to run .. we evolved that way --- we didn't evolve to be overweight - which puts more strain on many parts of our body.

Do it wrong and it certainly can!

Here's how you can avoid the mistakes that I made (and I hear others report regularly):

1) Get fitted for the correct shoes BEFORE you start - use a specialist running shop rather than a chain store or online. The savings aren't worth it.

2) Learn how to tie them correctly so your foot isn't moving laterally or vertically inside the shoe - if it does your footfall is unstable and the stresses can transfer onto the knee. YouTube or your running store can advise

3) Research gait. Plenty of very good instruction videos on youtube that will show you the correct biomechanics. Landing on the heel and landing in front of the body both are like putting the brakes on and it sends a shock wave up the leg, through the knee and to the hips.

If you start out the right way you can avoid problems and injuries that will niggle you for years.

good luck and enjoy!!

I am thinking about switching up my exercises. It seems silly but I got it in my head that running will destroy my knees. My friend says that being fat destroys them, not running. I weigh 256 lbs. (116 kg. or 18 stone 4 lbs.)

As long as you use a progressive plan to develop your running capacity and capability running will help develop the strength and control around the joints in the legs. If you try to do too much, too soon, then it can cause damage. So can pretty nmuch any exercise you choose.

I started at about 200 lbs, and it was hard work. Now 16 months later I'm consistently running 40km per week and trainning for a trail half marathon. In the past I've had reconstructive surgery on both knees and ankles, so if running per se was a significant problem, I'd know about it.

There are lots of progressive plans around, or you could just make it up yourself. to minimise your risk I'd suggest using a pre-packaged plan like a couch to 5K. Over the 9 weeks that'll tke you from a standing start to running for 30 minutes continuously. that's unlikely to be a total of 5K but it'll give you a solid base to work from.

One of the key things for new runners is footwear, and given your weight I'd suggest going to a decent running store for a review of your gait and some recommendations. Good stores frequently have a returns policy so that if the shoe you buy doesn't work out you can replace it with another type.

It'll certainly help you, but there re risks, as with anything. Personally I'd recommend it, I've found it useful.

Running does not wreck your knees. There have been numerous studies that have shattered that old myth, in fact several have demonstrated the exact opposite however, like any activity, there are caveats.

Running while extremely overweight increases the risk of injury, running using bad form increases the risk of injury .......the most significant risk factor is trying to do too much too soon too fast. It also needs to be stated that many instances of knee pain are actually manifestations of weak glutes and/or hips - cross train & strength train to manage this.

If you weigh the risks of an overuse injury against the risks associated with a sedentary lifestyle it's a no-brainer.

To the OP, at your weight I would suggest starting with walking and strength training (feel free to bike & swim etc too) and then gradually work your way into running short distances at a slow pace and (very) gradually build up.

'Barefoot' shoes will encourage you to midfoot strike, which means the impact goes through the ball/middle of your foot, your heel flexes rather than impacts the ground (it may not touch the ground at all, or it may just kiss) and there is minimal shock through the joints.

Mid foot strike yes.....barefoot shoes.....I seem to recall that a major maker/promoter of barefoot shoes just settled a lawsuit over spurious claims made in this regard.

This is an enlightening topic.

For all of the people here who know a lot about running, can I piggyback on this question?

I want to know if running/jogging while extremely obese (I'm over 350) will damage your breast tissue even if you're wearing a bra? Someone told me that once and it's made me paranoid . . . not that I could even get to a running speed for long enough for it to matter, probably.

This is an enlightening topic.

For all of the people here who know a lot about running, can I piggyback on this question?

I want to know if running/jogging while extremely obese (I'm over 350) will damage your breast tissue even if you're wearing a bra? Someone told me that once and it's made me paranoid . . . not that I could even get to a running speed for long enough for it to matter, probably.

Larger ladies (I wear an E-cup) should get properly fitted for a sports bra and make sure it's for high impact. When you try it on, jump up and down and do star-jumps. If you can feel the weight of your boobs tugging at your rib cage that is when you might damage the tissue over time, so you need more support.

Some running friends wear two at once - an encapsulating bra (separate cups) with a compression (squash 'em'flat) over the top. Enell specialises in large size that do both at once. I personally favour Shock AbsorberMax Sports Bra Top Level 4. they're not cheap - expect to pay £30 - but they're well worth the investment.

.....and replacing them every 6 mo or 500mi, whichever comes first...

No need to do that with minimalist shoes.

No - we were Born to run .. we evolved that way --- we didn't evolve to be overweight - which puts more strain on many parts of our body.

This says is all.

If your careful then no. Make sure you have rest days and do exercises that build your legs up.

I started running about 4 years ago and I basically ended up getting Runners Knee I've been told not to run now until I've lost the excess weight. What caused my issue was that I didn't have the proper shoes and I was running 7 days a week and not resting.

hi there
well if you feel you can and want to run then first see your doctor as he is the best person to tell you if it bad or not then if its is ok then a good set of running shoes and then start off slowly and build up to it maybe even join a running club but most of all dont over do it and push yourseld to hard so have fun and good luck

Not necessarily! Many Drs have an outdated view that running damages your knees (unless they are runners themselves). I know a couple of larger runners who's Drs have told them that running will damage their knees - both have since gone from C25K to running HM's and their knees (and overall health/ weight) have never been better after ignoring Drs who weren't up to date on the latest research and had little knowledge of value when it came to overweight people exercising (walk & swim being the default suggestions). A physiotherapist is better placed to give proper advise IMO.

That said I didn't consult with either, I just went out and started C25K but took my time and listened to my body. I started at almost 300lbs and now run around 25miles a week with my longest run to date being 30k.

I started running slowly in Jan 2013 and I didn't feel any knee pain. Actually, I felt so much better..knees and my back. I agree with the others that have said watching your form and purchasing the right type of sneaker for your foot and how you run, which may change as you continue to lose weight. I used c25k to start me off slowly, but go at your own pace.

our bodies were not designed to be blobs. We were designed to move daily and do some pretty cool stuff

If you are out of shape, overweight, use horrible form and wear the wrong shoes, then yes, running will probably "destroy your knees."

If you get fitted for the right shoe, practice good form and progress gradually you will most likely avoid injury. However, with any type of exercise, injuries happen.

I also want to add that incorporating a good weight lifting program helps avoid common running injuries such as runner's knee.

No - we were Born to run .. we evolved that way --- we didn't evolve to be overweight - which puts more strain on many parts of our body.

That is just patently untrue. If we evolved to run, as you claim, we would be at least as fast as another animal that evolved to run: The cheetah, who routinely hits 50mph or so, and can hit bursts up to 70mph.

The fastest human recorded was about 28mph or so (Usain Bolt). And, the injury threshold is 25-26 mph.

Research shows we evolved for long distance, constant walking, with short bursts of speed for hunting. There was a lone study that may show we evolved for running, but again, that's a lone study and a conclusion of 2 researchers. Not the general consensus.

So just because one animal can run faster than another means that the slower one has not evolved to run ... wow :ohwell: :ohwell: